What Breed Is Right For You?

When deciding to add a dog to your family there are so many factors to consider. Most modern dogs will not be working dogs (tending a flock, flushing fields, clearning barns, guarding or moving a heard). While that heart shaped corgi butt might be cute, beware they love to nip from behind.  Australian Shepherds are wicked smart but aren’t known to be social and will keep your children in a tight corner or will anxiously pace the floor when everyone is in different parts of the home.  The giant head and soft eyes of the bernese mountain dog is so appealing but they are stubburn, like to be alone and as a livestock guardian are going to be wary of visitors to your home… they aren’t the type of dog you will allow to greet visitors or invite to relax in a room without you present. 
It is important to know that dogs have breed for centuries to perform a duty and today’s modern family will likely not meet or be able to fulfill the needs of that dog’s genetic requirements.
Mixing these breeds with a poodle is also not going to ease any of those genetic traits.  Poodles are one of the oldest hunting, retrieving and flushing lines of working breeds. While they are floofy in appearance understand that they run on high octane, have a high prey drive and will enhance the otherwise undesirable traits of many working breeds.

The Australian Labradoodle is a clever mix of multiple companion breeds and rarely will you see one bred to a parent breed in today’s breeding program. Look for breedings of Australian Labradoodle to Australian Labradoodle, where the grandparents were also well bred Australian Labradoodles.

Companion breeds have a much different genetic disposition than that of working breeds.  So before you rush off to get a bernidoodle or much less any other oodle mix be sure you understand what the parent breeds were originally bred for and consider if those are traits that will work well in your home. Consider if your children desire to be nipped at from behind or held in the corner of the kitchen by your aussiedoodle (not the same as an Australian Labradoodle), and if your guests will be eager to run out of your house after being lured over by your giant bernidoodle.

Also note that while many consider oodle mixes to be super friendly and non shedding, it takes multiple generations of careful breeding to create a nonshedding mix, this doesn’t just happen with a first or second generation mix.